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Anxiety and Essential Oils

Essential oils for anxiety.This article is about essential oils that may facilitate chronic anxiety reduction when combined with other protocols.

Anxiety is a normal part of the human condition. People experiencing anxiety suffer from fear, dread obsessive thinking and overwhelming worry. Physical responses can manifest as a racing heart, panic attacks, rapid breathing, tension and restlessness. It typically only becomes problematic if chronic or long term as all people from time to time have anxious situations.

Anxiety is an extremely complex condition that may benefit from the adjunct of therapeutic aromatherapy essential oils being complementary to allopathic protocols. A further enhancement may also occur where anti-anxiety essential oils are teamed with massage as a synergistic treatment to reduce symptoms. In addition, the use of meditation and yoga may also benefit anxiety reduction when enhanced with essential oils or synergistic blends of oils.

In a 2014 study (1) published in the American Journal of Nursing Science, “The use of essential oils as a complementary treatment for anxiety” authors Fradelos and Komini conducted a scientific literature review between April and August of 2014 using the keywords: essential oils, anxiety and treatment. A trial found was based upon generalised anxiety disorder in a hospital based clinical setup and it was found that Ocimum santum  ( tulsi or holy basil) essential oil significantly attenuated generalised anxiety disorders and also attenuated its correlated stress and depression (2)

Another recent research by Cho and associates in a University Hospital in Korea used a blend of lavender, roman chamomile and neroli essential oils. The results summarised were that this blended combination of oils reduced anxiety, increased sleep and stabilised blood pressure of patients involved in cardiac stent insertion. The anxiety level of the aromatherapy group (benefiting from lavender, roman chamomile and neroli) was significantly lower than that of the control group using no essential oils (3).

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Essential Oils & Anxiety-What Aromatherapy Authors Have To Say

Author Dominique Baudoux states in “Aromatherapy: healing with essential oils” that essential oils that can be used to reduce anxiety and stress are essential oils of bergamot, roman chamomile, bay laurel, lavender, sweet orange, ravensara and ylang ylang complete. (4)

Kurt Schnaubelt in his book Advanced Aromatherapy suggests neroli, tangerine, lavender, rosemary and lemon verbena in reference to anxiety treatment. (5)

Australian Aromatherapy author Sal Battaglia offers an extensive list of essential oils for stress reduction. In addition to already mentioned oils cedarwood oils, clary sage, frankincense, geranium, sweet marjoram, rose otto, rosewood and vetiver receive a mention. (6)

Shirley Price also recommends many of the previous mentioned essential oils for anxiety but also suggests myrrh (resin) and valerian essential oil may also help. (7)

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Anxiety & Essential Oil Components

Ahimsa Oils also subscribes to the Essential Oils Component Database and it suggests anxiolytic essential oils may have high levels of the components of carvone (high in spearmint essential oil for example), citronellol (geranium and rose otto) or linalool (lavender among others). One of our friends who does a lot of public speaking always uses spearmint essential oil before she goes on stage due to her increased anxiety and tells us it helps her immensely in her anxiety reduction.

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How Can Our Ahimsa Oils Website Help Finding Essential Oils That May Reduce Anxiety?

Please correlate the above mentioned essential oils with the Aromatherapy References section for that essential oil on our own Ahimsa Oils website. For example, in our 100% Pure and Natural Essential Oils category if you look up roman chamomile and go to the Aromatherapy References tab you will see that roman chamomile is referenced as: relaxant, sedative, soothing, analgesic, eases anxiety, worries, tension, anger and fear. Gives patience, peace and calms the mind. (8) How powerful must roman chamomile be as an example of a single oil that may help with stress and anxiety?

Citations:

  1. Fradelos, Evangelos & komini, Asimina. (2015). The use of essential oils as a complementary treatment for anxiety. American Journal of Nursing Science. 4. 1-5. 10.11648/j.ajns.s.20150401.11.
  2. hri  R.  Anxiety:  Causes  and  Management.  International
  3. Journal of Behavioral Science 2010; 5(1);100-108.
  1. Shri R. Anxiety: Causes and Management. International Journal of Behavioral Science 2010; 5(1); 100-108
  2. Cho M, Min E, Hur M, Lee M, Effects of Aromatherapy on the Anxiety, Vital Signs, and Sleep Quality of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Patients in Intensive Care Units. Evid Based Complement Alternative Medicine 2013; 2013:381381
  3. Baudoux D. Aromatherapy: healing with essential oils, douce alternative. Publisher Amyris 2007.
  4. Schnaubelt K. Advanced Aromatherapy: The Science of Essential Oil Therapy. Healing Arts Press, Rochester 1995, P.8
  5. Battaglia S. The Complete Guide to Aromatherapy. The International Centre of Holistic Aromatherapy, second edition, Australia 2003, p.86
  6. Price S. Aromatherapy for Health Professionals. Fourth Edition, Churchill Livingstone 2012
  7. Sheppard-Hanger, Sylla. The Aromatherapy Practitioner Reference Manual: Atlantic Institute of Aromatherapy, 1999. Print.

 

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